The Last Night Shift

The rays from the vibrant blue background on the call queue screen hanging above her cubicle normally cause anxiety. The time read 12:35 a.m. Alyssa checked her dashboard for the 20th time, her eyes swiftly eyeing the numbers after four years of graveyard shifts at the twenty-four-hour call center.

"There is still some cake left in the main breakroom if you want to leave that desk," Jade said as she passed Alyssa's cubicle for the second time on her lap around the office, pumping her arms at a semi-brisk pace.

She almost smiled. "Well, you know I don't want to make any brash changes to our last three years here together. Don't want to cause any panic," she joked. Alyssa would spend an entire 10-hour shift focused and secluded.

She took a deep breath, trying hard to release both the anxiety of watching the clock for the last hour and the nerves from leaving the most stable work position she had ever had. "Last night," she said quietly.

"Whew," Jade exhaled deeply as she took a breather on her third lap, peeking through the glass top of the short cubicle wall. After 15 years in the local state government sector, Jade often spoke about the call center being her retirement place. "You sure?"

"You know good and well, it would take 10 business days to undo the email thread alone."

She nodded slowly, then went back to her walk without another word. But she completed more of the back-work this shift, putting more attention into the wait times and re-learning parts of the upgraded but unfinished system, likely preparing to carry more work responsibility until Alyssa's position is filled.

"So, you're Beyonce's brother, you're being attacked by people coming into your room late at night, coming through the phone lines, and you've had to file suit against the facility and the President of the United States this week. Correct?" It's 2 a.m., so the usual insomniacs were making their rounds—the lonely mental health caller, the nurse ending her rounds, the police officer with three reports he'd forgotten. Jade offered to handle the escalations, letting staff know it was Alyssa's last night. The night crew offered congratulations while redirecting their complications.

At 4 a.m., when Alyssa clocked out for the last time, Jade walked her to the door. The dark skies gave the illusion of time for adequate sleep before the sun rose; she swiped down and hit the flashlight icon to walk through the parking lot.

"You're gonna miss this," she proclaimed.

Alyssa looked back at the call center's double doors and thought about the slow pay raises, the lifeless gossiping, and the open square where she spent too many long nights.

"How about I agree to miss you?" She said.

Jade pulled her into a quick hug that smelled of coffee and light sweat. "Go do the work that works for you. You're too big for this place. "

She knew it, too.